Big Ten Football: Ranking the Conference's Team MVPs for 2014
The Big Ten conference ended the 2014 season on a high note, going 5-5 in postseason play with Ohio State having the opportunity to tack on a sixth win against Oregon in the CFP National Championship.
The league was well represented at the various award ceremonies too, meaning despite a national reputation that would make your grandmother blush, things turned out pretty well, and the stock of the Big Ten is on the rise moving forward.
Every team, great or terrible, has its most valuable player, or the one player who made the most impact on games throughout the season. Even in losses, this was the player you could count on to never give up and force opposing coordinators to stay sharp.
Oftentimes "most valuable" is synonymous with "best," but that won't necessarily be the case here. Which player could your team not live without? The players' future NFL prospects have no weight here, as we're simply comparing the MVPs based on their importance for their respective teams.
We're picking an MVP for every Big Ten team and ranking them from No. 14 right on down to No. 1. As always, let us know which MVPs you'd switch up for another player or if the order doesn't look quite right.
14. S Landon Feichter, Purdue
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We're going to stray away from the negative angle of Purdue safety Landon Feichter being the 14th-best MVP of the Big Ten and instead focus on how special he was in an otherwise frustrating season for the Boilermakers.
The senior safety has been a key contributor in all four years of his career, notching 105 tackles this past season. He also racked up five interceptions, including two in a loss at Nebraska. The defense as a whole gave up more than 30 points per contest, but Feichter was one of the few players you could count on to continue making plays.
The trend of college football is for offensive stars to get the glory, and running back Akeem Hunt was considered. Ultimately, we went with Feichter, who left it all on the field each Saturday and, despite playing in a down era of Purdue football, will leave with a positive legacy.
13. RB Justin Jackson, Northwestern
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In a conference featuring the best group of running backs in the country, it's easy to see how Northwestern's Justin Jackson might be overlooked. But the freshman tailback had an outstanding year for the Wildcats and will be a name to watch out for moving forward.
Jackson finished the 2014 campaign with 1,187 yards and 10 scores on the ground. He was effective receiving the ball out of the backfield as well, totaling 22 grabs for 201 yards and a touchdown.
Another name that might come to mind for Northwestern's MVP would be Chi Chi Ariguzo, the senior linebacker with 104 tackles. But ultimately, Jackson was chosen because outside of him, there weren't very many consistent playmakers on offense.
12. WR Leonte Carroo, Rutgers
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There are several different ways to judge the most valuable player. But one of the first things you can point to is the player who stands out more than anyone else, and for Rutgers, that was wide receiver Leonte Carroo.
The junior wideout had 55 catches for 1,086 yards and 10 scores, and for those of you doing the math, yes, that's nearly 20 yards per grab. The next receiver on the list for the Scarlet Knights, Andrew Turzilli, had just 347 yards through the air.
Without Carroo, the passing attack would have been nonexistent. His best game stats-wise was against Tulane, where he had seven grabs for 140 yards and three scores. But his most important performance came in the regular-season finale, where he tallied six catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-38 win at Maryland.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. WR Stefon Diggs, Maryland
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Picking the MVP for the Maryland Terrapins in 2014 was a difficult task, as two players emerged ahead of everyone else: wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive lineman Andre Monroe.
We have no qualms with those who side with Monroe here, because the senior lineman was a dominant force, tallying 10 sacks and 14 tackles for loss throughout the year. But though you may roll your eyes here, the human highlight reel Diggs gets the nod because without him, the offense loses an electrifying playmaker.
The 6'0", 190-pound Diggs has already elected to enter the 2015 NFL draft after a 2014 season in which he caught 62 passes for 792 yards and five touchdowns. He missed three games late in the season, and many will be left wondering what might have been if not for injuries throughout his career. Nonetheless, he was as explosive of a player as you'll see in college football.
10. WR Mike Dudek, Illinois
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At No. 10, we head to another Big Ten team led by a freshman playmaker on offense, and this time it's Illinois wide receiver Mike Dudek.
With a rushing attack averaging only 117 yards per game, the Illini offense often relied on the passing attack to get things going, and that's obviously where Dudek comes in. He reeled in 76 passes for 1,038 yards and six touchdowns in 2014, nearly twice as many yards as the team's second-leading pass-catcher.
Looking at the other side of the ball, you might be inclined to pick either Zane Petty or Mason Monheim as the team's MVP, and neither would be a bad choice. But winning requires points, and no one helped the offense do that more than Dudek, who is off to a fast start in his young career.
9. T Brandon Scherff, Iowa
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You won't find Iowa's team MVP anywhere in the box score or stat sheet, but the impact he had on the Hawkeyes in 2014 cannot be overstated. Tackle Brandon Scherff was an absolute monster in the Big Ten, and without his efforts, you'd be talking about an offense that might never have scored.
Yes, that last bit is an exaggeration, but the 6'5", 320-pound Scherff paved the way for just about everything the Hawkeyes did on offense. Whether it was Mark Weisman carrying the ball on the left side or Jake Rudock needing an extra second before letting a pass fly, Scherff was the key cog in all of it.
In a piece for the Big Ten blog at ESPN.com, Mitch Sherman made a case for the big senior to bring home the Outland Trophy (which he did).
"Known for his freakish strength, Scherff has drawn comparisons to former Iowa stars Marshal Yanda, Bryan Bulaga and Riley Reiff, now starters in the NFL," Sherman wrote.
Without Scherff, the Hawkeyes would have been a mess on offense, but he helped his team reach a bowl game and will now enjoy the fruits of his labor as a high pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
8. LB Jake Ryan, Michigan
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Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan won't be selected as high as Brandon Scherff in the 2015 NFL draft, but he had an even greater impact on his team this past season, which is why he comes in at No. 8 in a ranking of Big Ten team MVPs.
Ryan, who missed a chunk of the 2013 season to injury, was a monster on the Wolverines' defense all season long. He ended up with 112 tackles, including 14 for loss. He also had an interception, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
In picking the team MVPs, you often look at the best player on offense and then the best player on defense and go from there. Devin Funchess was clearly the best player on offense, but his inconsistency and issues with drops made the decision easy. Jake Ryan was the best player for Michigan in 2014 and one of the best all-around players in the Big Ten.
7. LB Mike Hull, Penn State
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Now we go from one of the Big Ten's best linebackers to one of the best in the country, Penn State's Mike Hull.
Relax, that's not a shot at Ryan, but Hull's production doesn't lie, and he's one of the few players every coach in America could watch for one play and want on their team immediately. He finished the season with a mind-boggling 140 tackles, including 10.5 for loss.
The other side of the ball had some playmakers in the receiving corps, but quarterback Christian Hackenberg didn't have the breakout year many expected. Even if he had, this would be a tough call. But he didn't, and the obvious choice is Hull, who has a bright future in the NFL.
6. RB David Cobb, Minnesota
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You know all about Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Ameer Abdullah, Ezekiel Elliott, Jeremy Langford and now even Justin Jackson (holy smokes, does the Big Ten have great running backs). Standing out in this bunch is hard, which makes what Minnesota tailback David Cobb did in 2014 one of the more underrated campaigns of any player in college football.
The passing attack was hapless, so when you consider that Cobb still ran for 1,629 yards and 10 touchdowns, it should raise a few eyebrows. He also caught 16 passes for 162 yards, and he even completed his only passing attempt.
Cobb has a nice combination of speed and agility given his 220-pound frame, and his ability to chunk out yardage with the defense often knowing what's coming is impressive. Out of all of the players on this list who won't be back in 2015, Cobb's departure could sting the most.
5. RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State
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The Michigan State defense was not all it was cracked up to be in 2014 despite allowing just over 21 points per game. The 2013 unit, for example, allowed just 13 points per game, and this year, the Spartans allowed 46, 49 and 41 to Oregon, Ohio State and Baylor, respectively.
All of this isn't meant to rag on that side of the ball, and the three aforementioned teams had brutally efficient offenses. What it does mean is that the team MVP comes from the offense, and we're giving the nod to running back Jeremy Langford, who tallied 1,522 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground.
He was as consistent as they come, rushing for more than 100 yards in each of the team's final 10 games. Other candidates are quarterback Connor Cook and wide receiver Tony Lippett, one of the nation's top QB-WR duos. Ultimately, it was Langford's ability to get first downs and reach the end zone that gave him the edge. From the otherworldly stats category: Langford had at least two touchdowns in the final seven games of the season. He also had three rushing touchdowns in four of those games.
4. RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
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You can't have a conversation about Big Ten running backs without Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, the team's MVP for 2014.
Abdullah went toe-to-toe with Melvin Gordon for a good part of the season before an awful game at Michigan State and nagging injuries slowed him down. You couldn't tell by his stats, however, which read 1,611 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 269 yards receiving and three more scores.
To put it generously, the quarterback play was inconsistent and the defense was as average as they come. But what helped the Cornhuskers to nine wins was the consistency of Abdullah, who was liable to break off a big one every time he touched the ball. Fans may be wondering what could have been after Abdullah had just two rushing touchdowns in the team's final five games—he had 17 in the first eight—but he still put together a sensational season.
3. RB Tevin Coleman, Indiana
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To the surprise of absolutely no one, the MVP for Indiana in 2014 is Tevin Coleman, and it isn't even close. The Hoosiers' spectacular junior had 2,036 yards on the ground with 15 touchdowns and an average of more than 7.5 yards per carry.
Had he been playing for anyone else, Coleman would have garnered more attention, but it's not very often a team wins four games and its best player still makes national headlines.
Coleman is an excellent all-around back whose toughness will serve him well at the next level. Another amazing number: The Hoosiers threw for 1,697 yards in 2014 with just nine touchdowns. Now take a look back at Coleman's numbers and let the difference hit you. He was as important to his team as any player in the country, including the next two players on this list.
2. QB J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
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The 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes will go down in the annals of college football history as one of the more remarkable teams the game has seen. Despite losing Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller before the season to injury and then suffering an embarrassing home loss to Virginia Tech, the Buckeyes have rebounded to reach Monday's national championship game against Oregon.
A lot of players are responsible for the turnaround, and if you lean toward defensive end Joey Bosa here, no one would laugh. But the defense has a lot of players and wouldn't be significantly worse without the young sophomore. The offense, however, would have been lost without quarterback J.T. Barrett.
Barrett had 2,834 yards passing, nearly 1,000 yards rushing and a whopping 45 total touchdowns before being injured against Michigan. Of course, we know now that Cardale Jones has stepped in and played well in his stead, and maybe he could have led a similar charge had he been playing the whole season. But there's no maybe with Barrett. He did take over and he did lead this team to the Big Ten title game and put together one of the best years at signal-caller in Buckeyes history.
1. RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
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At a certain point, writing about Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon becomes a challenge because you run out of new ways to describe his greatness. With the season over, however, we can officially look back on 2014 and call Gordon's campaign the second-best in the history of college football for a running back.
If you've been stuck in a time capsule for the past 20 seasons, what you are about to read may shock you. Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2014, missing Barry Sanders' yardage record by a mere 41 yards. That record was previously considered unbreakable.
Gordon finished second in Heisman voting to Oregon's Marcus Mariota, who, to be fair, also put together a historic season. But Gordon was so clearly the best running back in the country that it's hard to find positive adjectives for anyone else. His vision, agility, burst off the line and toughness was unmatched, and what he did will be remembered forever.
All stats via cfbstats.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
